This invention is in the field of conveyors and in particular apparatus for transporting such conveyors short distances.
Portable auger and belt conveyors are commonly used on farms for conveying grains, fertilizer and the like. These portable conveyors generally comprise a conveyor body supported on an elevating frame where the frame is operable to move the conveyor body up and down in response to an actuator. The conveyor body and frame are supported on an axle with wheels such that the intake end of the conveyor body normally rests on the ground as the conveyor body pivots up and down raising and lowering the output end of the conveyor body
The conveyors must be moved around the farmyard from bin to bin. Traditionally this was accomplished manually by picking up the intake end of the conveyor and pushing it into position, or by hooking the intake end to a towing vehicle for moving longer distances. When towed however, the final positioning generally requires the towing vehicle to be unhooked so that the intake end can be properly positioned. For example it is commonly required to move the intake end of auger conveyors through a bin door. With larger conveyors, the manual movement becomes more problematic. As well, the recent trend to hopper bottom bins requires that the intake end be moved under the center of the bin which can be difficult to accomplish as the sloping bin floor interferes with the operator as he maneuvers the intake end of the conveyor.
Various powered conveyor movers are available which utilize the engine of the conveyor to power the wheels, and may also provide for power raising and lowering of the intake end, and also the output end. These are quite costly and such a mover is required for each conveyor on the farm. Often a farm has three or more conveyors, each of which would ideally be provided with such a mover but for the cost.
Such conveyors in the prior art can also mounted to a vehicle for movement. Such a conveyor is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,149 to Tiede.
A tractor is removably attached to a conveyor in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,512,687 and 4,526,265 to Enns. The tractor acts to move the conveyor along the ground, as well as to drive the conveyor for conveying material. Due to the size of the tractor, considerable modification is required to the conveyor, such that the set-up would be costly, and not practical to adapt to several existing conveyors for movement by a tractor.
All terrain vehicles are popular on farms for various chores, and are commonly used as a towing vehicle to move conveyors conventionally by attaching the intake end thereto. It would be beneficial to provide a kit that would allow a conventional conveyor to be quickly attached to and detached from an all terrain vehicle, or similar vehicle, and that would allow the intake end of the conveyor to be positioned by maneuvering the vehicle.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for use with a conventional portable conveyor to allow quick attachment and release of a vehicle, such as an all terrain vehicle, so that the conveyor may be transported by the vehicle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus wherein the vehicle is remote from the intake end such that the intake end of the conveyor can be positioned using the vehicle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus that is economical to install and use on a plurality of conveyors.
The present invention provides in one aspect, for use with a conventional portable conveyor comprising a conveyor body supported on an elevating frame, the frame operable to move the conveyor body up and down, the conveyor body and frame supported on an axle with wheels such that an intake end of the conveyor body normally rests on the ground as the conveyor body pivots up and down about the intake end thereof, an apparatus in kit form for attachment of the conveyor to a vehicle. The apparatus comprises an axle mount adapted for attachment to the axle of the conveyor adjacent a wheel thereof. A rear hitch member has an axle end releasably and pivotally attachable to the axle mount and is adapted at an opposite tow end thereof for releasable attachment to a vehicle hitch at a rear end of the vehicle. A front vehicle mount is adapted for attachment to a front portion of the vehicle and a conveyor mount is adapted for attachment to a support location between the intake end of the conveyor body and the axle, the support location being selected such that as the conveyor body moves down, the support location moves down. A front hitch member has an upper end releasably attachable to the conveyor mount, and has a lower end releasably attachable to the front vehicle mount, so as to bear against the support location as the conveyor body moves down, with the result that the intake end moves up. The apparatus is adjustable such that the conveyor and vehicle may be substantially aligned for travel.
In a second aspect the invention provides a portable conveyor attachable to a vehicle for transport thereof. The conveyor comprises a conveyor body supported on an elevating frame, the frame operable to move the conveyor body up and down. The conveyor body and frame are supported on an axle and wheels such that an intake end of the conveyor body normally rests on the ground as the conveyor body pivots up and down about the intake end thereof. A rear hitch member has an axle end releasably and pivotally attachable to the axle adjacent a wheel thereof and adapted at an opposite tow end thereof for releasable attachment to a vehicle hitch at a rear end of the vehicle. A front vehicle mount is adapted for attachment to a front portion of the vehicle. A front hitch member has an upper end releasably attached to the conveyor at a support location between the intake end of the conveyor body and the axle. The support location being selected such that as the conveyor body moves down, the support location moves down. A lower end of the front hitch member is releasably attachable to the front vehicle mount, so as to bear against the support location as the conveyor body moves down, with the result that the intake end moves up. The conveyor and vehicle are substantially aligned for travel.
The front and rear hitch members can be easily removed from one conveyor and used with the vehicle, and the front vehicle mount installed thereon, to move a different conveyor. The conveyor and axle mounts are inexpensive and may be left on each conveyor that is to be moved from time to time.